Betty’s Dressing is a famous Ohio thing.
We’re not talking about the bygone beloved Short North Betty’s; this Betty hails from Northwestern Ohio.
This revelation came as something of a surprise. In spite the fact that more than half of my life has been spent in the Buckeye State, Betty and her dressing were heretofore unknown entities. But if you start a Google search with her name and the first letters of “salad,” it’ll suggest a host of options, all linked back to Betty Timko.
Betty Timko was a notable restauranteur in Northwestern Ohio and the Toledo area. She left her mark on the world with a particular salad and salad dressing that has been featured by the likes of Modern Home, Allrecipes.com and Food.com.
While there are plenty of copycat recipes circulating around, Timko Enterprises, based in Haskins, Ohio, produces jars of the famous dressing. You can find it in the refrigerator section of gourmet grocers such as Weiland’s. The jars hold a concoction that is a deep, orange-y red, and bear a label that features a photo of a women with a big, warm smile. That’s Betty Timko herself.
Although it shares some characteristic color and sweetness with dressings such as French or Catalina, Betty’s dressing is thicker. It’s a mix of sugar (that’s the second ingredient), ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar and maybe some seasoning. There’s a definite throw-back appeal to the combo.
And you can put it on whatever salad you’re into. But for the full experience, might as well go for the iconic Betty’s Salad. It’s built on a mix of greens (specifically, spinach, romaine and head lettuce), chopped boiled eggs, bacon crumbles, and bean sprouts, “drained.” The “drained” bit is a throwback to the 80s, when bean sprouts were more widely available in canned form. Betty would probably approve of substituting fresh ones. They both crunch.
For more information, visit bettysdressing.com.